This season hoki catches will be more despite calls from fishing company to go under limit. Fisheries minister Phil Heatley said the ministry’s science programme indicated the hoki fishery had fully recovered from its decline. He told that data shows that hoki fishery could support increase in catch but the authority has decided to go for modest increase. He informed that the total allowable commercial catch will rise by 10,000 tonnes to 130,000 tonnes from October 1, with the increase applying to hoki stocks in the western fishing area.
Hoki is one of New Zealand’s most important commercial fish species, generating about $100 million a year in export revenue. Although the catch limit has increased it is still well short of its 2001 peak of 250,000 tonnes. Heatley said hoki stocks will be surveyed later this year and the stock reassessed in 2012. He informed that in the period July to September 2009 the industry took the permitted 25,000mt from the Western Stock. Since then with transfers from the East and two TACC increases the take from the Western Stock is now 60,000mt.
After this the authority has announced a further cut in catch limits for orange roughy, from 4840 to 3780 tonnes in the main catching area. He told that these reductions will have a significant impact on fishing operators and I appreciate their continued commitment to work with the Ministry to rebuild these fisheries.
